1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a therapy and training device to improve strength, flexibility, physical rehabilitation and neuromuscular reeducation of upper extremities, as well as to promote physiological motion in the thoracoscapula joints, affecting the natural spinal motions and core stabilization, which relate to the shoulder complex.
2. Prior Arts
People who have undergone any type of shoulder-arm surgeries suffer under many symptoms that limit their functional activities. Therapists and trainers eagerly search for a device that can help the client during their supervision and at home, while the client is not under professional assistant or therapy.
Over the years, numerous of different exercise machines have been developed to improve the pathological condition in the shoulder region and help the patients with recovery.
However, many of these equipments are built in complexities that require the professional supervision of a therapist or a trainer. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,586, issued to Horvath, discloses a complicated exercise equipment, involving a “tower” that is a combination of frame, which are attached to the “bench” and are independently rotatable.
Not only that most of the exercise equipments require supervision, they are costly and for many people not affordable. U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,586, issued to Horvath, is a great example.
Space is another big issue by the most home exercise machines. Many of them require a big space to be placed and stored. U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,098, issued to Miller, is another machine that uses a multipart weight and pulley system requiring big space for training.
Addition to disadvantages mentioned above, U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,586, issued to Horvath, demonstrates more weaknesses.                a—The device is very heavy and not practical for transportation. It is not portable.        b—The rotor base allows only a circular motion and reduces the scapulothoracal motion.        c—Due to the rotor base being fixed in a horizontal plane, the rotor base allows the user only a horizontal motion and limits the sagittal and frontal movements in shoulder completely.        
U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,823, issued to Walendzak and Millar, is a device that is set together from a round frame, a support member with a pivot ball mounted on the underside of the support member at the center of the round frame. This device demonstrates a primitive form of an exercise machine that demonstrates following disadvantages:                a—The device is not stable during active use.        b—The device is used only in a horizontal plain. It limits the user in a horizontal motion of the shoulder and does not promote the sagittal and frontal motion.        c—The complicated adjustment of different grips and pivoting balls to change the difficulty of the exercises make the device hard to use for an independent user.        d—To increase the difficulty of the exercise is the increase of the weight bearing position required. This forces the user to perform the exercise in a kneeling position on the floor, which is restricting the users with knees, hips, spine and neck issues.        